Educational Blog

On this page we discuss varied issues surrounding not just property investment, but the bigger picture of wealth creation. This is aimed at those not just living in Sydney, but also Australia wide, not just those expanding their investment portfolio but also those entering the property investment market. We are focusing not only on Sydney real estate, but the current hotspot, Brisbane real estate and of course National property portfolios.

The main question we get asked is ‘where do you recommend to invest?’

Most people expect a simple answer such as a particular city or area. The truth is choosing the right location to invest in is much more complicated and involves a lot of research.

It is important to understand that if you choose the right location then that will do a lot of the heavy lifting for your property investment success. However, not only do you require the right location for success but you also require the correct ‘investment grade’ property.

I’ve been working on a Property Research Methodology for over 15 years. This is what I use to assess whether a property is truly investment grade. With education and experience in most aspects of property, investment, planning and lending, I help my clients invest in the best property in the market.

I recommend following my developed research methodology to help in finding a property that is going to outperform the market.

The Macro Research – I begin by researching into the macro economic environment of Australia. This is the overall research and understanding of how Australia’s economy is performing.

From here, this will lead me to the right state(s) in which to invest. The right state will be one that shows current and future market outperformance based on things such as economic and population growth.

The Micro Research – Within the state(s), I look into the capital cities (generally not the regional areas as you want an area where the majority of jobs will be as well as areas people desire to live in – remember you need to be able to rent this investment out). This part of the research is all about demographics. You are wanting to find the right suburb(s) for an investment property. Do people want to live in these suburbs? What type of people want to live in these suburbs? What sort of lifestyle would someone living in this suburb have?

Due Diligence – Within the right location I now look for the right property. How do you know what property is the right property?

Here my investment advice is to choose an off the plan investment. This way it is easier to do the due diligence on the developer and the development. It is harder to research the history and complications of an established home (but not impossible).

The questions that are asked in this stage are what sort of property is being developed? In a suburb that is mainly terraces is the developer building terraces or apartments? What history does the developer have with building in the area? What prices are the properties being sold at?

There are hundreds of questions to be asked in each research phase. When you look at the research methodology and strategy, it takes a lot of time, energy, research and understanding.

Understanding is something that most investors struggle to conquer. You can sit for hours researching in front of computer or reading articles but what is missing is the experience. The experience to understand what makes a property a great investment.

This is why I advise anyone potentially wanting to invest to seek the expertise of a property investment strategist. Someone who understands what makes a great investment as well as someone who will take a macro look at your situation and will devise a strategy.

These people are not buyer’s agents…… a buyer’s agent is someone who can help you purchase a property but does not have the research or financial background to implement this research methodology.

The property strategist understands the goals you’re trying to achieve and will help you find an investment grade property in the right state and suburb.